Port Washington Residents: Conservation is a Must this Summer

Port Washington, NY (April 7, 2021)—The Port Washington Water District recently participated in Resident Forward’s Every Drop Counts presentation focused on providing information about protecting the community’s drinking water source. PWWD described to the more than 75 people who attended the digital event about the District’s mandatory, 20 percent reduction in water used by irrigation systems this summer. The requirement comes as a means to help the District keep wells impacted by emerging contaminants offline during the peak of the season.

“Water conservation is always of the utmost importance for a shoreline community like ours, but it is especially true this summer if we have any hope of keeping the wells impacted by emerging contaminants offline,” said Commissioner David Brackett. “We are providing our residents with incentives to install smart irrigation controllers, which save thousands of gallons of water each month for those who make the switch. We also have provided information about our new irrigation zone maps and other useful conservation tips to make irrigation systems more efficient. It is now up to our residents to implement these water-saving measures into their daily routines.”

The irrigation season, which starts in April and ends in October, creates significantly more demand for water throughout the District—anywhere between a 100 to 200 percent increase. Much of the water applied to lawns is wasted by inefficient systems and poor watering habits. In addition, watering needs are vastly different in April and May than they are in July and August. Irrigation systems that are turned on in April and not adjusted until they are turned off in October waste tens of thousands of gallons of water unnecessarily.

“Water conservation does not mean you cannot have a green lawn, in fact, many conservation measures actually improve the quality of lawns and gardens because it means stronger root systems will be developed,” said PWWD Commissioner Mindy Germain. “We must put an end to practices that unnecessarily waste water. If we implement technologies, such as smart controllers, rain sensor and drip irrigation, or consider the inclusion of drought-resistant and native landscaping options, we can reach our conservation goals and improve the sustainability of our precious water source.”

Replacing a standard irrigation timer with a smart irrigation controller provides the single greatest opportunity to realize a significant savings—most see a 30 percent decrease. Smart irrigation controllers use Wi-Fi to connect to a local weather station to more accurately assess the watering needs of lawns and gardens based on the current and future forecast. The District encourages all residents willing to make the switch to take advantage of its $150 rebate program.

“The cost of smart controllers continues to decrease so the impact of our rebate continues to increase,” said PWWD Commissioner Peter Meyer. “If making the switch to a smart controller isn’t feasible for you, that’s okay. There are plenty of other ways, such as following Nassau County’s Odd/Even Lawn Watering Ordinance and adhering to the District’s irrigation zone map that can significantly help us keep these impacted wells offline as much as possible this summer.”

In order to ensure compliance with the new maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) set forth by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), the PWWD and 20 other Long Island water providers, have been granted a deferral. This gives the District two years to construct all necessary infrastructure upgrades, including advanced oxidation process (AOP) and granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment systems.

For more information on water saving tips and best practices throughout the irrigation season, please call 516-767-0171 or visit the Port Washington Water District’s website at http://pwwd.org. Be sure to sign-up for email updates on the District’s homepage to receive additional information about water district activities.